The Circus of Dreams
by Mellasaphian
Summary: This is a Dramione fic adapted from the book: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. After the war, Hermione is reminded by her mentor of a game that was started when she was 6 and working towards ever since, the stage is to be set and she will be there. Meanwhile Draco's father Lucius has a close friend of his take his son on as an assistant. There can only be one victor.
1. Chapter 1

The circus arrives without warning.

No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there when yesterday it was not.

The towering tents are striped in gold and silver. Countless tents of varying shapes and sizes, with an elaborate wrought iron fence encasing them in the gold and silver world. Even what little ground is visible from outside is gold or silver, painted or powdered, or treated with some other circus trick.

But it is now open for business. Not just yet

Within hours everyone in town has heard about it. By afternoon the news has spread several towns over. Word of mouth is a more effective method of advertisement than typeset words and exclamation points on paper pamphlets or posters. It is impressive and unusual news, the sudden appearance of a mysterious circus. People marvel at the staggering height of the tallest tents. They stare at the clock that sits just inside the gates that no one can properly describe.

And the gold sign painted in silver letters that hangs upon the gates, the one that reads:

_Opens at Dusk_

_ Closes at Dawn_

"what kind of circus is only open at night?" people wonder. No one has a proper answer, yet as dusk approaches there is a substantial crowd of spectors gathering outside the gates.

The ticket booth clearly visible behind the gates is closed and barred. The tents are still, save for when they ripple ever so slightly in the wind. The only movement within the circus is the clock that ticks by the passing minutes, if such a wonder of sculpture can even be called a clock.

Lights start popping at the top of the gates, each light popping and staying on, revealing letters until the popping stops and the words are revealed.

_Le Cirque des Re'ves_

"what does it mean?" comes the whispering through the crowd.

"The Circus of Dreams" comes the reply.

Then the golden gates shudder and unlock, seemingly by their own violation. They swing outward, inviting the crowd inside.

Now the circus is open.


	2. Chapter 2

The war was over. Hermione had done her last year of school and was now home, well what she called home. Her flat was a modest size, enough for her and crookshanks, though she debated about getting and owl so she could write to people.

She set her trunk by the door and let the cat out so he could run around the flat and get used to it again. After just a few steps she heard him hiss.

Her wand was out at a moments notice, then seeing who it was, lowered it, walked to the balcony door and let crookshanks out.

"hello Alexander." She turned to the man in the grey suit, who nodded in greeting.

"the stage has been set. The game will soon begin. Be prepared." He turned and exited the flat, leaving the witch alone.

She looked down at her left hand, where the ring had scarred her so many years ago.

_She had been looking out the window of the orphanage, when she saw the man in a grey suit walk up. He had walked through the doors and she lost sight of him. The children knew the drill, if someone walked into the orphanage, they all had to go to the main hall and sit quietly for the parents to come in and call a few out to interview._

_ She, of course was outcasted to the last table in the back. She was the only one who stayed silent. All the other children were whispering to one another, some sneering back at her, some staring at the double doors where the adopters would come through._

_ After a few minutes the doors opened, the man in the grey suit and madame Clarissa, the woman who ran the orphanage, walked in._

_ "Martian, Sidney, John, and Claudia come with us please." Clarissa called out._

_Three children got up from the other tables, before she stood and followed them._

_ At that time, her name was Claudia. She sat on the bench outside the interview room whild john went in first. Martian and Sidney sat close together as far away from her as possible. She paid them no attention as she pulled the book out she had been reading. John came out a couple minutes later and Sidney went in. she was sent out after a minute and martian went in._

_ The man in the grey suit stood in the doorway as he shooed out martian. The man glanced over her, though she hadn't noticed. clarissa pointed towards the man after taking the book away from her.._

_ Claudia stood up and walked into the interview room, took a seat and regaurded the man out of the corner of her eye._

_ He seemed to be regaurding her as well. After a moment he tossed his cane at her, and she caught it easily without turning her head or flinching. After catching it she looked at him with narrow eyes._

_"how old are you?"_

_"six and a half."_

_"how long have you been here?"_

_"always sir."_

_"you read?"_

_"I like to read. I have already read all of the books here at least three times."_

_"good."_

_ "you will do. I have a great many of books that you can read and study from" He motioned to the door and they exited the room. He filled out the paperwork and she gathered what little belongings she had._

_ "do you want to know my name?" she asked as they were walking towards the gates._

_ "names are not of nearly important as people like to suppose," he states, not looking at her. "a label assigned to identify you either by this institution or your departed parents is neither of interest nor value to me. If you find you are in need of a name at any point, you may choose one for yourself. For now it will not be necessary."_

She had chosen the name Hermione Granger when she was eight years old, the year before the ring was burned into her finger and she was bound to an opponent. Alexander was surprised when she got a letter to Hogwarts but pleased and pushed her to read and absorb as much as she could while at the wizard school.

She walked over to her desk and saw a card, much like a business one with a date, time, and location on it. She smirked to herself and walked out onto the balcony to reguard her long dead flowers. She gently waved a hand over them and watched as they came back to life. She must practice, she had a week.

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Lucius reguarded his son as he sat to his left at the dinner table. He didn't seem to be eating much, just pushing his food around on his plate.

"the game will begin soon." Draco looked up to his father, then glanced at his mother's wide eyes.

"so soon? Lucius he just got home!" narcissa stared at her husband, who was on house arrest for five years, his wife got off scott-free for helping potter, and draco was instructed to return for his last year of school and have his wand monitored for three years, not that it did any good with wandless magic.

"I do not choose when the game begins narcissa, and he is already bound to his opponent, has been since his opponent was even picked! He has the advantage of raw talent from a pure bloodline. Alexander takes children off the streets or from orphanages and lets them study to become great!" he laughed and draco's appetite was lost.

"we have the first move draco, and we shall make it spectacular, especially since your working for Sialaz."

"may I be excused." Draco was exaughsted and needed rest.

"for now draco, but do not forget you must practice so that you may win. Aren't auditions for the freaks going to be soon?" draco nodded and exited the room to go to his own.

He lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he remembered.

_He had met the man in the grey suit when he was 7 years old. His father had called him down to the study to meet an old friend. And they started a game, where draco was one of the pieces, and whomever the man, who's name was Alexander, chose as his opponent. _

His mind jumped to last summer.

_"draco!" he had come at his father's call._

_"I have set up and recommended you as an assistant to Sialaz, you will get the job, and you will be great." Was all the instruction he had gotten._

_He obeyed, of course. Sialaz loved him, he was on time, to the point, and took lots of notes. Sialaz's wife gwen helped out a lot as well. They were a rare slytherin/gryffindoor pairing._

Then to last weekend.

_ Sialaz told draco about his idea of a circus that pushes against the boundaries of everything possible, to muggles at least. He wanted to show them part of the wizarding world, without exposing it. He had come up with the color sheme, gold and silver, secondary colors of gryffindoor and slytherin._

_ They had a contortionist. They had other circus people. They needed an illusionist and a fourtune teller. Those were the only missing pieces. Which would be aquired this week._

He went to sleep, hoping for no nightmares. He had work to do tomorrow.


End file.
